Adjustable scaffolding



April 17, 1951 J LANE 2,549,212

ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLDING Filed March 8, 1948 A7 TTOENEV Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLDING Joseph M. Lane, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 8, 1948, Serial No. 13,713

4 Claims. (01. 304-2) This invention relates to an adjustable scaffolding.

More specifically speaking the invention relates to improvements in adjustable steel scaffolding in which the height at which it is desired to support the workmen is obtained by detaching the plank support from a standard or lean-to jack and then after raising or lowering said plank support reattaching it to the standard at the desired height.

Among the objects of the invention are: to eliminate all wedges and thumb screws heretofore used, thereby avoiding accidents caused by stripped threads and loose wedges; to substitute steel plank supports for the wooden ones now used on steel standards; to provide improved means for releasably locking the plank supporting portion of the jack to a standard thereof; to provide improved locked-in-place brace arms between certain upstanding and horizontal scaffold members; and to provide for folding certain parts of the knock-down scaffold into a more compact relation to each other.

Another object is to provide a new mode of assembling a scaffold structure, whereby, during the erection of the scaffold, when certain supporting and overhead beams are brought into their operative position, a locking together of certain supporting members takes place, adding greatly to the security of the workmen supported by the scaffold.

One of the specific objects of the invention is to provide improved means to take the strain off from pins carried by standards to support at the adjusted height the overhead beams of'the scaffold.

Yet another object is to provide, in conjunction with platform supporting lean-to jacks abuttable against the wall of a building at spaced apart intervals, auxiliary platform supporting means to be used, where a large opening in the wall makes it impossible to place said lean-to jacks sufficiently close to each other safely to support the overhead platform.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a complete scaffold structure, built according to the principles of the invention, the greater portion of the elongated platform or composite supporting plank for the workmen to stand on, being broken away in order to give an unobstructed view of the underlying structure. This view includes a fragment of a building wall upon which work is to be done scaffold, together with fragments of one of the horizontal supporting beams of the scaffolding, a fragment of the brace therefor being shown in the lower part of this view.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an auxiliary reinforcing bar insertable within the meeting portions of two horizontal beams which support the plankor platform.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the structure of a typical foot portion of the scafiolds standard.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of part of one of the overhead beam structures and a fragment of the inserted reinforcing bar.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown a plurality of lean-to jacks B, I, 8 and 9 of identical structure which form the essence of the present invention. In practice said lean-to members will all preferably be made out of 12 gage steel. Each of said lean-to jacks includes an upstanding channel iron member I0 having inturned doubled over flanges Illa.

A pair of inclined, twin leg braces I I is provided for the lower end portion of each of said standards, said leg braces being broadly channel shaped with their flanges directed downwardly and inbent like the aforesaid flanges I 0a. Steel studs I2 pass through the upper end portion of each pair of said legs and through the intervening standard, securing the legs firmly to the standards, but in addition the standards and legs are united by welds I3. Additional stability results from the presence of a spacer sleeve I4 (see Fig. 5) through which said stud passes. The lower part of each standard and leg assembly is reinforced by a tie bolt I5 which passes through the lower end portion of each standard and through the closed sides or webs of the channel shaped legs. Said bolt is provided with a center spacer I51; and side spacers I5b.

Each of said upstanding channel iron members which has been mentioned has registering apertures I! through its opposite sides through which extend sturdy pins I8 surrounded by sleeves I9. The spacers and/or sleeves I4, l5a and I9 are all of the same diameter.

The standards which have been mentioned sup: port the horizontal beams 2I, the latter having pivotally attached to them inclined brace arms 23 by means of pivot bolts 24. The beam 2! of each lean-to jack is channel shaped in cross section with its open side directed downwardly. The inclined brace 23 is also channel shaped in cross section, but has its open side directed upwardly, so that the beam 2| may be nested within the brace arm 23 when said beam and brace are swung toward each other around the pivot bolt 24. Said pivot bolt is so positioned in relation to the nesting members that, when said members are totally collapsed the edges of the upper chane nel will abut the web portion of the channel of the brace arm. Said members will always be maintained when in an operative position at a constant angle wherein the upper member is horizontal and the lower member is in its inclined position. This is made possible through the even spacing the vertical row of spacers. Members 2| and 23 are collectively adjusted vertically for different heights to which it is desired to raise or lower the platform 25.

The width of the channel member 21' is the same as the space between the inturned flanges Illa, so that said member may be inserted between the inturned flanges Illa with a close workin flt. Therefore, since the outside width of the horizontal channel member 2] is the same as themside widthof the channel member 23, the flanges '21 and 28 of the brace arm 23 will abut in an edgewise manner against said inturned flanges I'Qa the brace arm i in its inclined, operative position, if they are cut in the proper manner, described later. I

That end portion of the beam 2'! whichis a tached to the standard has fitted within and secured to it a reinforcing bar 29 having near its assume an abuttin relation to he above m ns tioned inturned flan es llla. This beveIing o the flanges of the inclined brace arm facilitates the removal of its notch 39 from the selected spacer I9 which. it engages in its operatively locked position. said bar 30 is sufliciently short to unobstruct the upswing of the brace arm 23 when the beam is nested between the flanges of the arm, as aforesaid. Also, the beveling of said flanges lengthens their .innerside portions, adding to the strengthzof the arm of which they form a part.

The horizontal member 21 has its open, rear or free end registering with and welded to a similar opening in a keyhole hanger plate 155] having its slotted portion directed upwardly to lockably engage a fastener 41,.such as a nail or .a lag screw, driven into the wall 42 of the building.

Under certain circumstances it i necessary to provide an auxiliary support between lean-t jacks when a wall opening 43 occurs between them, due to the fact that there is nothing to support an intermediate .leamto jack. For this 13111!- p in ,Fis. is sh wn an auxiliary support for the pl form .25, sa support c mprising th op= posed jacks 6 and 8 having their keyhole plates 4! brought into an abutting relation to each other within said door opening 43,. In order to stabilize the Join of thesaid abutting beams i is necessa y to nsert a re for ing or spl ce bar havin a notched out corner portion45 at each end to overie the pivot olts 24. said bar i4 a has pe ings 41 (see Fig. 4') which register with openings 48 adjacent plates of the overhead beams 2|, for receiving the bolts 49. Hence, when the span is too great between lean-tos, as shown in Fig. 1, the intermediate joined together lean-to jacks form an auxiliary supporting horse or scaffolding for the platform between the lean-to jacks.

In the assembling and disassembling of the scaffold structure the lean-to jacks are secured to 4 the wall 42 of the building by means of the keyhole brackets and lag screws 4|, as shown in Fig. 1. The lean-to jacks will be placed suflicient- 1y close toeach other to insure the safety of the workmen standing on the platform .25 which support them. In case the ground alongside the :building is uneven, the workmen will spade out the portion of the unevenness necessary to bring the lower ends of the diverging legs H on a level.

When an opening occurs in the wall of a building beingworked on, which makes the space between lean-tos so far apart that it would be unsafe to support the workmen on the platform which they, in turn, support, provision is made by this invention, to provide a supportinghorse, as already stated, consisting of opposedjacks .6 ands. But before a joint between said two jacks can be effected, it is necessary first to place ,one end of the notched .bar it, as shown in Fig. between the downwardly exmnding flanges ,of the overhead beam 2! as shown in Fig. 6, until the hole 4'? in the beam 44 registers with the hole 48 in the overhead beam, whereupon the notched end of the beam 42, which is indicated by the'reference character 45, overlies the spacer '50, as shown in the left hand portion of Fig. 2. Thereupon the opposed rear lean-tojack 6 has its channel opening fed over the protruding remaining portion of the bar M, in a manner ,duplicative of that already described in relation to the opposite end portion of the bar M.

When it is desired to raise or lower the platform 25, said platform is temporarily removed and the overhead beam and inclined brace arm are detached by first lifting the notched portion of the overhead beam away from its, supporting pin, and then collapsing the overhead beam and the inclined beam into a nested relation to each other, wherein the notch 39 is-free to he withdrawn from locked engagement with the pin. Then the combined brace .arm and overhead beam are lifted or lowered, as desired, preparatory to replacing them in the selected position desired.

I claim:

1, In a scaffold structure, and overhead platform supporting beam for positioning within door openings in a wall; and a pair of standards for positioning one at each side of the door opening in a supporting relation to said beam; said beam comprising in its mounted position two inverted channel irons abutting each other in an endwise manner, each of said abutting ends having welded to it a plate extending at a right angle to the axis of the beam and abutting flatwise against the plate of. the other channel iron, said plates having .alined openings to receive a fastener to secure them together, a reinforcing splice bar fitted between the flanges of the abutting end portions of said channel irons, said bar having a notch underlying each end, pins passing through said channel irons and underlying said notches, and other gpins extending through said channel irons and said splice barto aid in preventing endwise withdrawal of. said channel irons ,from each other.

2,. The subject matter of claim 1, and each of said abutting plate having a rectangular cut-out into which is fitted the end of the channel iron which carries it, the abutting faces of said plates being flush with the adjacent ends of the channel irons.

3. In a scaffolding structure, an upstanding channel shaped standard, a channel shaped horizontal beam, means for detachably connecting one end of said beam with the standard, a brace 5 arm below and directed at an acute angle to said beam, said brace arm being channel shaped and having its flange portions at the outer end straddling the beam with the web of the brace arm abutting the under side of said beam, fastening means extended through the straddling flange portions of the brace arm and said beam, a length of strap metal fixed within the brace arm channel and having a notched end part projecting from said channel at its inner end and into the 10 channeled standard, and a plurality of pins mounted transversely on said standard for engagement with said beam and the notch of said projection.

4. A scaffolding tructure as defined in claim 3 wherein the flanges of said brace arm are cut back from the inner end of the Web and the notched projection so as to bear directly against the flanges of the channeled standard.

JOSEPH M. LANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 118,553 Redick Aug. 29, 1871 232,556 Silvius Sept. 21, 1880 958,276 Pence et a1. May 17, 1910 974,686 McGhan Nov. 1, 1910 1,004,547 Webster Sept. 26, 19 1 1,937,608 Tobin Dec. 5, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number vCountry Date 28,390 Great Britain 1912 513,062 Great Britain Oct. 3, 1939 

